As singles tend to do, the newest release from Tyler, The Creator, comes shrouded in mystery – who is Tyler’s new St. Chroma character? Why is he wearing a mask of his own face? Ayo Edebiri, why are you pointing a gun at me? But most pressing of all, what is coming next from one of this generations most unique rappers?
After Call Me If You Get Lost reaffirmed his traditional rap chops following successful forays into soul and pop mixes, it felt like Tyler, The Creator, had finished a magnum opus of a career. Now, the stage is set for a man with nothing left to prove – except that he can do it all again. “Noid”, the newest single from Tyler, The Creator’s upcoming album CHROMOKOPIA, blends the most authentic elements from his past works into a new, more alternative style than we’ve see from the hip-hop/pop/rap/culture star for a tantalizing taste of what is (hopefully) to come.
The track opens with a wobbly, synthetic-yet-unrefined sound from both its digital production and aggressive guitar riffs. A deeply resonant, grainy Tyler contrasts with the natural sound of the sampled track, “Nizakupanga Ngzo”, as the former describes being riddled with paranoia and an unsettling feeling that something is following – tracking – him, and easily so while he’s “living between cameras and recorders”. It harkens back to “MASSA” from Call Me If You Get Lost when Tyler’s ‘honeymoon phase’ with fame first started to close, and he realized the security he had traded for his position. The track continues to revolve around Tyler’s fear of both betrayal and danger, clashing violent images of Tyler having to protect himself and his own anger at the state of constant surveillance he’s found himself in. Lyrics of “Loop around the block, eyes glued to the rearview/rather double back than regret hearing ‘pew pew’” conjure images of Tyler in his very own action-movie, or possibly horror, as the fast-pace of his lyricism feels less a marker of the genre and more a cry of distress. Separate, layered vocal tracks work to add a feeling of being rapidly surrounded, as a refrain of “Left shoulder, right shoulder” reverses the comforting feeling of Tyler’s “go left, go right” callback (from the alternative intro in his live performances of “See you again”) from a lockstep, heartbeat rhythm into a march of adversaries.
Tyler’s signature spice is undoubtedly present in the work, but it still feels like a very different vibe is going to be explored in his newest album – both in production and narrative. While he’s never shied away from a internal monologue, this track feels sharper than before – where earlier lyrics of consciousness represented him as confident and collected, if possibly misguided, this diphonically cybernetic and human song pits Tyler in a more strenuous, desperate position as he struggles with a poison there’s no antidote for. It’s as angry as it is fearful, and despite its sorrowful story, it brings a spark of excitement with it too. It’s got me in just the right mood for a new album to dive into.
Photo Credits from Tyler, The Creator via Youtube
